1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid applicator having a case for containing a liquid such as a disinfectant solution and an applying member, housed in the case, for applying the liquid, which can be carried out in fields or kept in a house for a sudden need and which can apply a liquid such as a disinfectant solution on an affected part by opening the case.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, as a disinfecting/curing means for use in the case of an emergency such as an external wound or the sting of an insect or for use in a house, a liquid such as a disinfectant solution contained in a medicine bottle is impregnated in an applying member such as absorbent cotton, and the applying member is used to clean an affected part or apply the solution on the affected part.
Examples of a conventional simple liquid applicator which can eliminate cumbersome handling are an applicator having an applying member with liquid permeable properties at an opening of a case of a liquid such as a disinfectant solution, for directly applying the liquid on an affected part by using the applying member, an applicator having a mechanism for spraying a liquid, and an applicator which seals a napkin-like applying member consisting of a non-woven fabric and containing a liquid.
In recent years, a liquid applicator 50 as shown in FIG. 1 is proposed as a sanitary liquid applicator which can be easily handled by combining advantages of the above conventional applicators (Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 63-181776). This liquid applicator 50 seals a liquid 54 such as a disinfectant solution in an amount which can be consumed at once in a case 52. The case 52 is constituted by a plunger portion 56 and a case main body 58 which are connected at an opening end 62 of the case main body 58. The case main body 58 is constituted by a large-diameter portion 58a and a small-diameter portion 58b continuous with each other. An opening means 64 is formed in the small diameter portion 58b (FIG. 1). In order to use this liquid applicator 50, the opening means 64 of the case 52 is opened (FIG. 2), and the liquid 54 such as a disinfectant solution is directly applied on an affected part by an exposed columnar applying member 66 (FIG. 3.)
In addition, a liquid applicator 70 as shown in FIG. 4 is provided by the present assignee (Japanese Patent Application No. 01-30572). This liquid applicator 70 is formed to be substantially the same as the liquid applicator 50 shown in FIG. 1 except that a columnar applying member 86 is elongated. A case 72 is constituted by a plunger portion 76 and a case main body 78 which are connected at an opening end 82 and seals a liquid such as a disinfectant solution.
A reinforcing core member 92 is inserted in the applying member 86 to support the elongated applying member 86. The reinforcing core member 92 has elasticity which allows the member 92 to be bent when the case 72 is opened and has rigidity which allows the member 92 to support the applying member 86 when a side applying portion 94 of the applying member 86 is used to apply the liquid on an affected part.
In order to use the liquid applicator 70, an opening means 84 of the case 72 is opened (FIG. 5), and the liquid is applied by the applying portion 94 of the exposed applying member 86 on an affected part (FIG. 6). Therefore, the liquid can be applied on a wide area of the affected part by one application action.
In the above liquid applicator 50, however, the columnar applying member 66 is obtained by binding a large number of long acetylcellulose-based fibers to form a columnar member as a whole or by using a porous material such as sponge. Therefore, the columnar applying member 66 does not have satisfactory rigidity, and it is difficult to elongate its exposed portion. As a result, since the distal end face of the applying member is mainly used as an applying portion, it takes a long time to apply the liquid on a wide affected part, as shown in FIG. 3. Although the diameter of the columnar applying member 66 can be increased to apply the liquid on a wide affected part within a short time period, the entire applicator size is increased upon increasing the diameter of the case 58. Therefore, the applicator cannot be conveniently kept in a house or be carried out.
The prior art liquid applicator 70 discussed above can apply a liquid on a wide area of an affected part by one application action. However, the structure of this applicator is comparatively complicated, or its entire length is increased since the applying member 86 is elongated.